May 30, 2003
Citizen's Arrest
I try not to be critical of people's fashion choices, but yellow skirt, black tights, white pumps? How could you?
May 29, 2003
Rednecks
One of the funny things about living in the south is that, even though I've lived here most of my life, there are still some times that people say things I can't understand. The reason I bring this up is because there's a particular saying that I've heard all my life and it never made sense to me. Finally, after all these years, I've realized that the southern accent disguised what was actually being said. (People who have never lived in the south have probably never heard this expression anyway.) Here it is as I always heard it: "working you like a barred mule." Barred mule? What's that supposed to mean? A mule who passed the bar exam?** This saying has mystified me for years...until now. It's actually "working you like a borrowed mule," which makes so much more sense. I know what someone means if they say, "can I barra that?" but I never made the connection.
When I realize things like this, as I do from time to time, it makes me love the south even more. The fact that I can go into a store in Bawcomville (read: readneck capital of La) and need a translator to communicate with people who live 15 miles away from me is just amusing. I can understand someone from NY much better than I can understand a cajun from south Louisiana. That cracks me up.
That generic accent that so much of the US has takes some of the comic effect out of life.***
**So many lawyer jokes in my head, so little time to type them.
***I realize I had a generic TV accent for 5 or 6 years. What can I say? I pick up accents easily.
Quote of the Day
"There are some circumstances which even women cannot control. Female economy will do a great deal...but it cannot turn a small income into a large one." - Jane Austen, The Watsons
May 28, 2003
My Little Sophie
I went to see Sophie last on her one week birthday. Wow. She has got the cutest toes you could possibly imagine.
May 27, 2003
The New Fun Christin Rides Again
Well, I started out this morning writing a really long post of all the things I've done over the past 5 days, but I'm so busy now that there's no way I'll get through the second half of the story, so I just deleted it. I can sum it up this way though: Wednesday - had a neice - lots of time at the hosptal; Thursday - got to visit with old friends, go out to dinner with my parents and watch a good softball game; Friday - 7:45-6:20: work. Friday - 6:21pm through Monday 10:30pm - one big party, including (but not limited to) such events as staying out until the wee hours, dancing, playing cards, ordering 16 pizzas, having 30 people in my apartment (once again) and kicking them out when I couldn't hold my eyelids open anymore, not sleeping, cooking out upstairs, playing (and winning) Trivial Pursuit, margarita night at Chili's, and watching the guys play Halo, pool, and Ms. Pacman. We ended the night with some good old-fashioned bowling, which I haven't done in forever. Those are just the high points. Everyone else continued to party until 1 or 2 am, but I was a good girl and went to bed at 11. Now I need a holiday to recover from the holiday, but alas, it's back to reality. I'm working all day and I start notary classes tonight...fun stuff!
Quote of the Day
"Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them." - Ann Landers
May 23, 2003
Intensity in ten cities
I really intended to post something today, but I have been unbelievably busy at work. How dare they make me work hard all day!
May 22, 2003
Bathrooms
I've made many road trips and have had to use many nasty public bathrooms. As I was hanging out at the hospital yesterday, waiting for the baby, I had a great idea: next time I'm on a road trip, instead of stopping at fast-food places and questionable convenient stores, I'll just stop at hospitals, where I know the bathrooms are clean. There are even special roadside indicators of the nearest hospital. Why didn't I think of this years ago?
Ew
We're getting an alarm intalled in our apartment this morning. Other than the fact that the guy woke me up early on my day off, I'm pleased to be getting an alarm. Emily and I were standing in the kitchen chatting and watching the overall-clad, mullet-headed guy install the system and as he bent over to plug something in, Emily said, "Plummers should just wear overalls." I thought, "Oh?.....Oooohhh!"
Problem solved.
Quote of the Day
"To do is to be." - Descartes
"To be is to do." - Voltaire
"Do be do be do." - Sinatra
May 21, 2003
I'm in Love
No, it's not what you're thinking.)
My first niece, Sophie Adelaide, was born today! She's beautiful! I'll let Aaron post the vitals and maybe a picture when they get home from the hospital.
May 19, 2003
Strange Food
In last week's peanut butter poll, Dawn mentioned that she likes crunchy peanut butter on her BLTs. While that does not sound at all appealing to me, it made me think about how a lot of people have unique food combinations, which usually sound gross, but they're not always bad. My prime example would be the famous LaMoreaux chilli and cinnamon rolls. (You must dip the cinnamon rolls in the chilli...sounds nasty, huh? It's actually pretty good.) My roommate puts Worchesteshire Sauce on her pizza. Micah likes ketchup on her popcorn. I know a guy who puts orange juice on his cereal (he's a lactard). I can't think of any strange food combos that my family does. Then again, maybe we have some and don't realize they're strange.
Quote of the Day
"Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than to be able to speak Latin." - Charles Spurgeon
Reading
I have a confession to make: ever since I stopped going to grad school last year (and even before then), I have had no desire to read. I've often felt guilty of my lack of desire for books, but everytime I pick up a book, I can only get half way through it (at best) before I put it back on the shelf indefinitely. I used to like to read. Even after graduating from New St. Andrews, which has a notoriously heavy reading load, I chose to enter a master's program studying English. After 2 semesters of graduate school, I couldn't take it anymore. I was reading over 1000 pages a week (for two classes). When I went to buy my books, people in the university book store were stopping and staring at me and my enormous stack of books. That was the last straw. After I quit school, I went cold turkey. I've lived on the bare minimum amount of reading for a year now, and I'm just beginning to have some (small) desire to read again. I don't think I'm a lost cause. Thay say recognition is the first step to recovery, right?
Friday night, when I got home from having dinner and seeing a movie, the night was still young. I decided to pick out a book to read. I went to my bookshelf to pick something out. I've read at least 90% of the books already, 5% are cookbooks and other manuals, and the other 5% are things that I just don't want to read. So the question was: what did I want to re-read? Jane Austen? I've read her novels so many times...I need to read something that I can't quote. The last classes I took in grad school were: The 18th Century Novel, Kurt Vonnegut, and Shakespeare. I don't want to get back to those yet. How about philosophy? I don't want to jump in the deep end without warming up. I almost chose The Divine Comedy, but the covers were too far apart for a "get back into reading book". Of course I could always choose some Wodehouse or Harry Potter, but that feels like cheating. I also didn't want to read what I call an "airplane book": something that can be read in a day and has little substance (like Bridget Jones' Diary). In the end, I picked up Robespierre, by Otto Scott. I read it in my history class about 5 years ago, and I remember liking it, though I don't remember much about it. I only got through 2 chapters Friday night, but hopefully, I can get all the way through it and begin to enjoy reading again.
May 16, 2003
Quote of the Day
"It's over and can't be helped, and that's one consolation, as they always say in Turkey, when they cut the wrong man's head off." - Charles Dickens
Does anyone else find it ironic that in Iraq, the Christians own the liquor stores and are being persecuted because they are resisting the prohibition?
May 15, 2003
Another Number to Remember
I finally submitted to the fact that I live in Louisiana. I've been putting off getting a LA drivers licence because I haven't wanted to pay for it. Louisiana is notorious (in my mind, at least) for its poorly run government: corruption (Ouachita Parish Police Jury), scandal (Edwin Edwards), and long lines (though I haven't actually experienced this, I can only imagine the Monroe social security office) are only the beginning. While I hate contributing my money to this state, my $23.50 is only a drop in the proverbial bucket. I already pay the oppressive sales tax and income tax, so I might as well face the fact that my meager income supports the "government" of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.
I do have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by my trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles. I was expecting a Walmartesque trip. Either 1 o'clock on a Thursday is an ideal time to go or I just got lucky, but when I walked in, I had to take a number: I got number 67 and the screen said "now serving 66". I could hardly believe it. I was in and out of there in less than 15 minutes. The people who worked there were friendly, and though they're not much in the photography department, overall, they were quite efficient...and I think that's the first time I've ever praised a DMV.
May 14, 2003
Blog Quiz
You are Jean Grey!
Beautiful and smart, you are still just beginning
to fulfill your potential. You have a strong
sense of right and wrong, but are open to
discussion and changes of opinion.
Unfortunately, when it comes to love you are
often torn between two options, and can never
seem to make up your mind.
Which X-Men character are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla
Confessions of a Sucker
I am a marketer's dream. I will buy just about anything that has the words "new and improved" printed on it in a bold color. I love sleek packaging: *aerodynamic* is a good quality in a bottle of dish soap, right? A quality toothbrush must have at least 5 different colors of plastic and/or rubber to be effective. The bristles should slant in every possible direction. My eyelashes can double in length *and* be 3 times as thick...and they're not just black, they're "blackest black." My bathroom is cleaner, my car is shinier, my clothes are whiter, and not a germ could survive in my kitchen. The products I buy are not just new...they're better than any human ever dreamed possible.
That being said, I bought a ridiculous new product yesterday. I mean, really: can toothpaste possible get any better? I bought Aquafresh
Extreme Clean Triple Protection Fluoride Toothpaste. This toothpaste is extreme! We're talking ESPN2 extreme clean. The most interesting feature of this toothpaste is it's dynamic foaming action. Aquafresh does not mess around when it comes to foaming. You'll be foaming at the mouth like Old Yeller. While I usually walk around a bit while I'm brushing my teeth, with this stuff, I couldn't get 3 steps away from the sink without needing to spit again. I actually had to change clothes this morning because I stepped too far from the sink and I couldn't stop the foaming action. It was out of control!
I guess I need to be more discriminating when it comes to purchasing household products. Just because I need more toothpaste, does not mean I need orange and white striped, super-dynamo toothpaste. I will not be a sucker, I will not be a sucker, I will not.....but the package was so shiny. I couldn't resist.
Quote ala Day
"Her face...was one-of-a-kind, a surprising variation on a familiar theme - a variation that made observers think, 'Yes - that would be another very nice way for people to look.'"
- Kurt Vonnegut, The Sirens of Titan
May 13, 2003
Anti-Ballite?
Well, there are about two weeks until the big conference at AAPC. It is time for the "should I go to the ball" debate which ensues in my head about this time each year. Picture me with a little cartoon angel on one shoulder and a cartoon devil on the other. (I won't say which one represents which side of the debate.) It's always such a tough decision.
Which reminds me of....
The Quote of the Day
"It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successfully, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury acrue either to body or mind." - Jane Austen, Emma
May 12, 2003
As my mother used to say...
"Never endeavor to ascertain the numerical calculation of feathered fowl within your possession until the period of incubation is fully materialized."
So, here's the question: is it better to post something on my blog everyday, even if the item I'm posting is not fantastic *or* to wait until I have something interesting to say before posting at all?
RE: Anonymous posting
There have been several discussions recently about people who leave a comment without leaving a name or any identifying information, so I thought I'd put in my two cents: most of the time, people who are posting anonymously are doing so because their comment is rude or inappropriate and therefore should not be stated at all. You see, it's just like in real life: you have to use the filter between your brain and your mouth (or your fingers, as the case may be). If you're saying something so off color that you don't want anyone to know you said it, the blogging world would probably be better off without it. If you're posting anonymously to be funny, well, it's about as funny as a junior high prank call. Grow up. If you're just doing it to be annoying, well, it's working. You're annoying. You probably don't have any friends. I don't like you either. Go home.
May 09, 2003
A Song for Every Occasion
*Song that reminds me of being a kid - You're the Best Around, Karate Kid Soundtrack
*Best Song for a Couple Skate - (I've Had) The Time of My Life - Bill Medley (from the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack)
*Song that reminds me of high school - The Sweater Song, Weezer
*Song that reminds me of hanging out with Annie & Oriel in college - Eternal Flame, The Bangles
*Song that reminds me of Jill - Rock DJ
*Song that makes me laugh - Dinner Bell, They Might Be Giants
*Song that makes me really sad - Fred Jones Part 2, Ben Folds
*Song that makes me really happy - The Luckiest, Ben Folds
*Song that makes me depressed - Time and Time Again, Counting Crows *or* Everybody Hurts, REM
*Song that makes me think, just for a second, that I could marry a cowboy - Cowboy Take Me Away, The Dixie Chicks
*Best Song to Karaoke - Spin the Black Circle Son of a Preacher Man
*Best music to go to sleep to - Sabrina Soundtrack
*Best first dance at a wedding song - The Way You Look Tonight, Tony Bennett
*Best slow song to sing along to - Never is a Promise, Fiona Apple
*Best fast song to sing along to - It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine), REM
*If I had a theme song, it would be - Damn, It Feels Good to be a Gangsta I don't know. Any suggestions?
May 07, 2003
Quote of the Day
"Once a woman has forgiven a man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast." - Marlene Deitrich
May 06, 2003
Ever Wonder?
How is it that kids of all ages from all over the states say things like, "na-na-na-boo-boo?" I find it interesting that things like this are so ingrained in society that we pass them on. Remember when you had to pick who was going to be IT, you said, "eenie-meenie-minie-mo?" What's that supposed to mean and why did we say it? There are even longer chants and sayings that kids pick up that every kid knows by the time they're in elementary school. We all know the same tunes and the same words (with only slight variation). Just yesterday, I heard someone (who is 12 or 13 years older than I and from a different region of the country) say, "U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi. You're ugly!" Hearing her say that took me back to when I was a kid. I'm sure I got in trouble more than once for saying that one. Of course, you don't want you're kids saying things like that, but somehow, we all learn that sort of thing.
I think girls learn more of these chants than boys. Sometimes, I think girls are born knowing these things (sort of like we're born knowing how to make a towel into a turban when our hair is wet). Even my friends from thousands of miles away knew the same songs I did. Remember the old favorites: "Cinderalla, dressed in yella, went upstairs to kiss a fella. Made a mistake and kissed a snake. How many doctors will it take?" or "Miss Mary Mack (mack, mack), all dressed in black (black, black), with silver buttons (buttons, buttons), all down her back (back, back)..." or "Miss Lucy had a baby. His name was Tiny Tim. She put him in the bath tub to see if he could swim. He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap. And now he's just a baby with some bubbles in his throat. Miss Lucy called the doctor. The doctor called the nurse. The nurse called the lady with the alligator purse."
I also find it fascinating that a kids' song about the black death has been passed on for hundreds of years: "Ring around the rosies" is probably one of the most well known kids folk songs around. I wonder if kids in Europe still sing about it or if it's just an American thing. Or how about "London Bridge is falling down"? Now there's something to sing about!
Lyrics of the Day
"Well don't know which one is worse, Doing your own thing or just being cool." - Bob Dylan, Gonna Change My Way of Thinking
The Party After the Party
One of the fun things about hosting a party is the challenge (after the party is over) of finding all the random places people left their glasses and napkins and such.
Life Lesson #176
When you take your car to get the oil changed, go ahead and spring a few extra bucks to get your tires rotated, because if you don't and one two of your tires wear out prematurely, the warranty is void and you'll have to replace the tires with your own money.
May 05, 2003
Quotes of the Day
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." - Winston Churchill
"A fanatic is a man who does what he thinks the Lord would do if He knew the facts of the case." - Finley Peter Dunne
The arrival of the couch
Well, I got a couch and a loveseat. It took an act of congress to get it into the apartment, but it's there...and not coming out for a long time. The set I ended up buying was my third choice: the first one was returned, of course, the second one was a little out of my price range (and I wasn't sure if it would fit). I'm really happy with the one I bought (and the store I bought it from). This is my first time to own NEW furniture though, and I'm beginning to understand why those old ladies put those plastic slip covers over their sofas...if only they weren't so darn sticky!
May 02, 2003
Quote of the Day
"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it emotionally." - Flannery O'Connor
May 01, 2003
New Furniture
I decided several months ago that I wanted to get a new couch, so I've been shopping for a while now to find the perfect one. I've been to every respectable furniture store in the city and I finally found the one. Actually, I found a couch and a love seat which fit into my budget, so I bought both of them. They're so pretty: modern, yet classic; formal enough, yet casual enough; stylish, yet functional. They were scheduled to be delivered today between 9 and 12 (don't you love how vague delivery and service people are?). So, the delivery people called at 8:45 saying they were almost there. I stayed home to see it (which made me be late to work). They got it halfway in.
That's right: halfway in. It would not fit through the poorly designed entry way. The couch is not exceptionally large: I would say it's slightly larger than an average couch, but the architectural geniuses who designed my apartment thought it would be a good idea to put a wall 30 inches in front of the door, making it very difficult to move furniture in or out. I know it can be done. I had a couch in there yesterday and we moved it out (with difficulty). As I mentioned the other day, Matt has 4 couches in his apartment, which is designed just like mine (well, actually my apartment is "bizarro Matt's apartment" - everything is opposite). But alas, the new couch won't fit. The loveseat would have fit, but if I can't have the couch, I don't want the loveseat.
So now it's time for my lunch break. I'm going to the store where I purchased the furniture to make sure I can get a refund. I'll update when I get back.
Furniture update (continued from below)
Well, I got a refund for the returned furniture. I lost $35 for the nonrefundable delivery charge, but I expected that. I didn't find anything else at that particular store that I liked, and I'm kind of glad because the guys that work there are smarmy. I know of another sofa which I think I like (I can't remember exactly what it looks like, but I remember liking it). Unfortunately, I won't be off work before that store closes for the day. Maybe I'll be able to get it tomorrow. I'm having company on Monday and I would like to have somewhere for them to sit.